Seth Chapter 82

Chapter 82

“So, like I said, they are pawns of a larger, more gruesome monster called an abyssal horror. That's why they are called lesser abyssal horrors,” Seth said, taking a look at the faces of everyone in front of him.

They were engaged with his explanation as he went on with talking about the abyss, the horrors that resided in it and other stuff.

“So, there's a monster that's like a huge, grown up version of them.” Zara squinted her eyes and gulped.

“Yes, and you should be glad we didn't fight against it. Even if we attack it at the same time, I don't think it would even itch. Lesser abyssal horrors are like five year old kids compared to it. You can't even harm the tendrils of an abyssal horror. For lesser abyssal horrors, Xarth or Log could harm or cut them, but it's not possible in the case of an abyssal horror.”

It was a piece of information Seth had gotten after seeing that even Rebecca could harm the tendrils of the lesser abyssal horrors. He had a few theories on it. Mainly the difference in levels or just an abyssal horror having resistance skills towards anything that's not in the element of void.

“What about Alv— I mean the void spectre?” Log pointed at its corpse. “It's similar to the horrors, but doesn't seem related to them. What's the deal with it?”

“It's basically a spirit traversing the abyss,” Seth replied, noting how Log's face went pale at the mention of a spirit. “They basically get summoned and take over the body of a person and control it. Hence, they are a type of possession spirits and generally try to lure in people to trap them. I know of them because we have fought one before, and Alvert was weaker than the one we faced off against.”

“So, you are saying Alvert wasn't always a monster?” Xarth asked, his brows furrowing and a frown masking his face. “Did someone kill him?”

“I don't know. Maybe he was dead already before the sceptre took over his body. Or maybe he was killed to call it. There can be anything, but we have no clue,” he said, his eyes moving over to look at the chamber. “It can be that the story the void sceptre was telling us, about it being a slave. It could be true and Alvert had died and it had possessed it. But we have no proof of it.”

“I can't believe it was all a plan to trap and kill us. Even in the ruins before, we haven't contested with anything like that,” Zacky said, spatting on the floor in frustration. “Like idiots, we even got nearly killed. Who knows what would have happened if we had died?” He gave a sharp look at Log while saying the last part who simply refused to meet his gaze.

“Probably more void spectres would take over our bodies,” Rebecca muttered casually like she was talking about rising food prices in the market. “Void spectres tend to kill adventurers and pass off as them since they are already strong.”

Seth could almost see shivers running down the spine of Xarth and the others. He might have been the same if not for constantly dealing with the matters of the abyss.

For him, a void spectre taking over his body was a less worse scenario than The Abyssal One taking over his body. At least in the former, he would be dead while in the latter, he would be trapped as a puppet in his own body.

Just the thought of it was terrifying.

“I get what these creatures are,” Zara said as she broke the short silence and looked straight at Seth, her eyes longing for an answer. “Their heinous shapes and forms are enough of an indicator they are from a different plane, but what are they doing here? I don't think creatures from other planes could easily travel to ours.”

“Yes, if that was the case, monsters would have been the least of worries for all of us.” Xarth nodded at Zara. “How can these monsters be here, especially in the Stormweaver's ruins.”

“Was he experimenting with other planes?” Log asked, looking at the mages in the room.

“I don't know,” Zara replied. “I have studied him and there's no indication in any of the books, picture stories, murals or even in the local bard's unusually poetic songs. The Stormweaver's field of interest was elements, not the abyss. Although it can be true since we have no idea what he was doing in the ruins. His cult only had rumours and myths since no one was caught alive.”

She looked straight at Seth and Rebecca, her eyes demanding answers. Xarth and the others stared too, their gazes prompting him to speak.

Rebecca's mouth twitched like she wanted to say something, but before she could answer, something flashed through Seth's eyes.

He said, “I’m sorry we didn't tell you this before. We are here to look for the Weather Staff, but one reason is also to find why these creatures are suddenly appearing around the ruins. We were here before and they attacked us outside. When we came here, their bodies disappeared, probably due to the local monsters.” He sighed, his face scrunching. “We don't know why they are appearing here or what the source is, but it's something to deal with before it gets too late.”

Rebecca frowned as she raised her eyebrow in a question, before her expression turned neutral. No one saw it other than Seth who was quickly bombarded with questions.

“Why didn't you put it out in the Guild?” Xarth stepped up, rising from his seat. His eyes looked at him with rage. “I bet having abyssal monsters around the ruins is an important bit of information you should have given us.”

“Would you believe us?” Seth asked back, trying to get through the argument. He knew they would be displeased. Log and Zacky were already frowning at him while Zara waited for his answer. “I admit I made a mistake. I honestly didn't know they were inside the ruins either. I didn't even know there would be a void spectre around since we never fought it around the ruins. I simply expected them to be around it, but it was a blunder on my path. I should have trusted you all more.”

“That you should have,” Zara said, sighing. “If we knew about it, we would have been more careful. We nearly got into a trap.”

“I understand that,” Seth said, trying to sound as genuine as possible. “Trust me, I didn't expect something like this either.”

“So, what did you expect?” Zacky said, clearly looking to take on a fight as he fired up his words.

“Golems and skeletons. I told you about them. I wouldn't want harm on any of you. That's why, I told you all to get away when I realised it was a void spectre.”

“Then—”

“Stop!” Xarth cut in, immediately putting distance between Zacky and Seth. Rebecca looked around nervously as the beastman spoke. “We don't want a fight. I'm displeased too, but Seth is clearly on our side. He saved Tran and Sharan from the flames, remember. Your memory isn't that bad, right? Both Seth and Rebecca had been helpful, so drop your rage right now. A ruin is not the place to have arguments.”

As he spoke, Zacky frowned, but stepped back. Zara and Log also relaxed while Rebecca took a sigh of relief.

“Thanks,” Seth said. “I’m grateful.”

“Don't fret it. I know what happens when an argument sows in between expeditions. Lots of betrayal and deaths. I just want to get over it.” He frowned as something flashed through his eyes. Maybe a bad experience from the past. “What are we going to do now?”

“Take a look around the chamber one last time after recovering from our injuries. Then, we move, look for the Weather Staff and keep an eye out for monsters and traps. If we come across lesser abyssal horrors or a sceptre, we are better prepared.”

“You sure you don't know more creatures that might be roaming around here?”

“No, if the ones I know are here, we will never be able to defeat it. It should be okay. Let's just move ahead for now.”

“Okay.” Xarth nodded.

He sat down with his party and Seth moved behind Rebecca who kept glancing at him. He knew what she wanted to ask, but he grabbed her hands, gesturing to her to be silent for now.

After resting for over an hour and tending to their wounds, all of them took one last look at the chamber. Surprisingly, there was indeed chests full with coins hidden behind the statues.

The Divers were happy to see it, but they decided to move ahead, coming back for it later.

As they opened up the door, they found themselves in another lord corridor that looked like it would take half an hour to cover. Seth wondered how big the ruins were or was there some sort of spatial magic involved? He had no answers, so he simply moved.

Rebecca put on two of her barriers around them as they stepped slowly, putting each step cautiously.

Xarth and Zacky walked in the front, followed by Zara and Log and then, at the back, Seth and Rebecca walked.

Entire time, Rebecca kept stealing glances at him and as her patient ran out, she pulled him aside, putting more distance between the others and them.

Looking at him, she whispered, “Why did you lie to them?”

“About what?” He tried to feign ignorance, but she glared.

“You know what.” Gritting her teeth, she frowned. “Why didn't you explain everything and lie about not knowing what they are doing here?”

“It's not a lie. I just omitted parts of it,” he said, keeping an eye on anyone snooping around. “Parts they don't have to know. They were angry about us hiding stuff about lesser abyssal horrors. If they knew we have Seven Seals after us, it would be worse. Moreover, we don't know if it's actually Seven Seals that's the source of these attacks. Or someone else.”

Rebecca opened her mouth to say something, but Seth kept going, “We don't have enough information. Let's just move ahead, get the Weather Staff and return to the city. We will be safe there.”

He sighed, talking to assure her and Rebecca nodded after a while.

“Okay, do you think there are more of those waiting for us?” She asked, looking ahead at the never ending corridors.

“Probably. These are some persistent bastards.”

***

As Seth and Rebecca moved with the rest of the party through the ruins, a pair of eyes kept watching them.

Standing in front of the stairs that led down the ruins, the same hooded figure from before kept an eye on them through an orb that reflected everyone in the party that moved through the corridor.

Corpses of hulking scatterers spread through the bloodied ground around the stairs, all of them having holes in different parts of their bodies.

The figure saw everything happening through the orb.

The battle against the guardians and wrath, moving through the assault of the carriers and skeletons and finally surviving from one of the servants that was planted to trap them.

It seemed like they were far stronger for mere lesser abyssal horrors and void spectre to defeat them.

The hooded figure frowned as they walked in the orb. Seth had escaped the assault of The Abyssal One's servants a few times, but he won't be able to do so always.

Making a decision, the figure moved, tapping the cane on the first step leading down the ruins.

“Seth, I will personally hunt you down. You won't be free for long. It's my promise.”

A hysterical laughter burst out as the images of the party vanished from the orb.

The sounds of footsteps were heard as the hooded figure walked into the Stormweaver's ruins.